Cha, cha, cha chia!

03.22.12

With the 80-degree temperatures here lately, it’s been hard to muster enough motivation to cook the same ole’ winter foods. I definitely need some good summer time recipes (even though it’s only March) so please feel free to share if you have any! Anyway, I thought this would be an opportune time to talk about a few things I’ve wanted to post about since I started this blog.

By now, many of you have heard about Chia seeds. It seems to be a bit of a trend lately and for good reason. About 6 years ago, I use to eat 1 tbsp a day, and to be honest, I don’t remember noticing much of a difference. And like many extra things we do, I forgot for a few days, and eventually, I just stopped taking it. Well, recently a friend of mine drops off a 3lb bag of it for me, so I thought I would try it again. Thanks again Heather!

I thought, now that I’m so much more in tune with my body, I would do a 2-3 week chia seed experiment to see if I noticed any kind of difference.

When I used chia before, I would put some in a cup, add water, let it sit for about 5-10 min and once it was gel like, I would drink/eat it. It didn’t taste bad, in fact, my 4 year old loves it (I think he just loves the texture) and has since he was 2, but it was harder to find the time to drink this in addition to my meals. This time around, I’ve been adding it to my butternut squash soup or other foods. It makes for a great thickener, so now my soups are super hearty. When you mix the seeds with a liquid it expands within a few minutes hence the denseness. But also, think about what that does in your tummy. Yep, it helps to fill you up. This also comes in handy for endurance sporting events. Many ultra distance racers will use chia before or during a race. If you’ve ever read Born to Run, which is a fantastic, motivating runner’s book, you will learn about how this seed was used long ago to help people stay hydrated and go for miles with little food in their stomachs. It can also help stabilize blood sugars. Oh, and I should mention, one of the biggest differences I noticed within just a day or two was well, um, it made me, well, even more regular. There’s lots of fiber in those little things.

In addition, chia is very nutritious. It is an excellent source of Omega-3, it’s loaded with antioxidants, it’s a good source of protein, and, it provides calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, zinc, and even boron (which helps the absorbing of calcium by the body).

Yay for chia seeds! It’s also great as an egg substitute for those with egg allergies. Anyway, if you decide to try it, try for at least 2 tbsp per day to really feel a difference. I would love to hear what you think!

And the more you buy, the more you save from amazon, so of course I went with the big bag but here’s a link to the 3lb bag at a great price!

tutti -I recently got a bag just like that from Amazon.com Great deal and good stuff to have on hand!ReplyCancel

April Ledom -So you convinced mr to give chia a try. Bought some, tried it in water and the texture bothered me a bit. It was like a tasteless jelly. So I soaked them in organic blueberry juice the next day. That made a huge difference! Now it’s like blueberry jell-o. Yum.ReplyCancel

landriav -What a great idea! Glad you like it! I can totally tell a difference (the next day) when I don’t use that much chia seed. Lately I’ve been using about 4 (or more!) tbsp just because I’ve been liking it in my soups so much! I hope you like it too. Thanks for posting!ReplyCancel

Sophia Basurto -LOVE chia seeds – great post! I add some almond milk and cinnamon and make something similar to rice pudding. You could also add some honey to make it more like a dessert!ReplyCancel

landriav -What a fantastic idea!! I will be trying that very soon! Thanks Sophia and thanks for both of your posts!!! 🙂ReplyCancel

Shana -Just read Born to Run and sure enough, went on Amazon and bought chia seeds immediately! I just started with a 1 lb bag but know I’ll be getting the 3-pounder soon! I came on here to search for what to do with them. Glad to have your blog as a resource! I’m going to try that almond milk-cinnamon business suggested in one of your comments.ReplyCancel

landriav -Inspiring book, isn’t it? Ready to go run a 50k now?? 🙂 I hope you like the chia seeds. I use them religiously every day. I can tell if I ever skip a day, so I don’t! Hope you’re having a good summer so far!ReplyCancel

tiffany -What are your thoughts on eating chia seeds without soaking them first, are they harmful?ReplyCancel

landriav -Hey Tiffany! I don’t they are harmful because
Of the amount of ALA, omega 3s and fiber. But, they do have phytic acid so just don’t go completely crazy with them. 😉ReplyCancel